Posted on 12 January 2013 by John Hartz

Arctic sea ice and Greenland ice sheet

Global warming is real. Temperatures are changing, climate is changing, and most importantly, arctic ice is changing, melting. It is absolutely critical we understand this process better so that we can better understand the implications, and some of the most formidable tools in our possession are Earth-observing satellites. Their keen and unblinking eyes watch the planet below, recording a host of characteristics so that we may record their changes.

Ice Swirls off the Coast of Greenland…For Now by Phil Plait, Slate, Jan 7, 2013 

Avoiding a climate-change apocalypse

As you may have noticed, the end of the year was all about the end of the world. Mayan doomsday prophesies. Rogue planets on a collision course with Earth. Fear-mongering about an artificial “fiscal cliff.” House Republicans doing, well, what they usually do.

Fortunately, for now, life as we know it continues. And scary as all of this sounds, the real horror show, the true existential threat, is yet another crisis of our own making: the catastrophic effects of climate change.

Avoiding a climate-change apocalypse, Op-ed by Katrina vanden Heuvel, Washington Post, Jan 8, 2013

Climate change and wildlife

Contributing Editor Dr. Jordan Schaul and distinguished wildlife biologist and professor Dr. Michael Hutchins discuss the current and anticipated impact of climate change on wildlife species around the globe in an exclusive Nat Geo News Watch interview.

The Climate Change Conundrum: What the Future is Beginning to Look Like for Wildlife by Jordon Schaul, National Geographic, Jan 10, 2013 

Extreme weather rages worldwide

“Each year we have extreme weather, but it’s unusual to have so many extreme events around the world at once,” said Omar Baddour, chief of the data management applications division at the World Meteorological Organization, in Geneva. “The heat wave in Australia; the flooding in the U.K., and most recently the flooding and extensive snowstorm in the Middle East — it’s already a big year in terms of extreme weather calamity.”

Heat, Flood or Icy Cold, Extreme Weather Rages Worldwide by Sarah Lyall, New York Times, Jan 10, 2013

Has global warming stopped?

There have been claims in the papers today and yesterday that new figures from the Met Office show global warming is "at a standstill" - and that this is set to continue for the next few years. But while the new figures do suggest the recent slower rate of temperature rise may continue for a few years, this doesn't mean that global warming has stopped - as a statement released by the Met Office underlines.

Why the Met Office’s revised forecast still doesn’t show global warming has stopped by Roz Pidcock, The Climate Brief, Jan 9, 2013

Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires in Australia

This week, Australia is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, sparking wildfires that have ravaged the country. We take a look at how far the heatwave and its consequences can be linked to climate change.

Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires in Australia: What’s the link to climate change? by Roz Pidcock, The Carbon Brief, Jan 9, 2013

Pulling carbon dioxide out of thin air

Whether streaming from the tailpipes of cars or the smokestacks of so many power plants and factories, carbon dioxide emissions keep growing around the globe.

Now a Canadian company has developed a cleansing technology that may one day capture and remove some of this heat-trapping gas directly from the sky. And it is even possible that the gas could then be sold for industrial use.

Pulling Carbon Dioxide Out of Thin Air by Anne Eisenberg, New York Times, Jan 5, 2013

Report: Climate change already affecting U.S. economy, people

A new report warns that climate change driven by human activity already is affecting the American people and economy, with more frequent and intense heat waves, heavy downpours and, in some places, floods and droughts.

Report: Climate change already affecting U.S. economy, people by Erika Bolstad, McClatchy, Jan 11, 2013  

Sea level rise may eclipse 3 feet by 2100

A new assessment that gauges the views of leading ice sheet experts finds that scientists think global sea level rise during this century may be far more significant than previously thought, possibly eclipsing 1 meter, or 3.3 feet, by 2100. Such a sharp rise in sea level would inundate heavily populated coastal areas around the world, potentially forcing the relocation of 187 million people, the study said.

Sea Level Rise May Eclipse 3 Feet By 2100, Study Finds by Andrew Feedman, Climate Central, Jan 9, 2013 

Warmest year on record received cool coverage

A Media Matters analysis finds that news coverage of climate change on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX remained low in 2012 despite record temperatures and a series of extreme weather events in the U.S. When the Sunday shows did discuss climate change, scientists were shut out of the debate while Republican politicians were given a platform to question the science.

STUDY: Warmest Year On Record Received Cool Climate Coverage by Jill Fizsimmons, Jan 8, 2013

World Bank focuses on climate change

The World Bank can make a difference in areas such as climate change, education and health, President Jim Yong Kim said, as he crafts a strategy for the poverty- fighting lender.

World Bank Focuses on Climate Change in Hunt For Fresh Strategy by Sandrine Rastello, Bloomberg, Jan 10, 2013